Community college grads invited to take summer courses at MC

Community college grads invited to take summer courses at MC

Maryville College is reaching out to recent graduates of Pellissippi State Community College and other Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) community colleges, inviting them to enroll in one summer course at the private, liberal arts college, while paying the same per-credit-hour fee of their TBR institution.

Officials at Maryville College announced last month that the school was participating in the Tennessee Transfer Pathways Program. This transfer program allows every student entering a Tennessee community college to select one of 50 majors with accompanying pathways, complete required courses, earn an associate’s degree and transition seamlessly as a junior at a Tennessee public university or participating private institution.

Establishing a “summer invitational program” for qualifying community college graduates seemed like the next step, said Dr. Dolph Henry, vice president for enrollment at Maryville College.

“This program is a great way to introduce those graduates to the degree-completion opportunities at Maryville College,” he said.

Approximately 35 different for-credit courses are offered this summer. Disciplines of study represented range from history to sociology, economics to world culture, education to psychology, and literature to science. Inferential statistics and precalculus are on the slate of course offerings. Specific course titles include “The Economics of Tourism,” “Quantitative Problem Solving in Business,” “Educational Technology” and “Experimental Psychology.”

In order to apply for the Maryville College program, graduates of TBR community colleges must have earned a 2.5 grade point average at their institution and earned an associate’s degree in the last two years. Students who are currently in the College’s applicant pool also can apply.

In order to enroll in summer courses, community college students will be required to complete Maryville College’s admission process, which includes an application and transcript from their college.

The deadline to apply is Mon., May 21, 2012.

Currently enrolled Maryville College students will be placed into the summer courses first; remaining slots then will be opened to the community college graduates.

Transfer students diversify MC classrooms

Maryville College officials said they would like to enroll more transfer students, and strengthening relationships with community colleges is now a priority.

In recent months, Maryville College faculty members, led by MC Professor of Religion Dr. Brian Pennington, have visited the Hardin Valley campus of Pellissippi State. Visits to other TBR community colleges are being planned.

“It’s an impressive campus with a lot of activity,” said Pennington, who serves as the College’s faculty liaison to community colleges. “What was most impressive was the commitment Pellissippi State faculty have to their students’ success and futures.

“Their graduates would experience the same commitment from faculty here,” he added.

Pennington is currently talking with faculty members at Roane State Community College’s main campus in Harriman.

“We’re looking forward to working more closely with Roane State,” the professor said, adding that community college graduates who transfer to Maryville College add diversity to the campus and classrooms.

“They often bring life experience into the classrooms,” he explained. “Many are older and have families and jobs. Some have been in the military. Those perspectives greatly enrich classroom discussions.”

And they’re prepared for the work, too, Pennington said, citing the success stories of recent transfer students who have earned honors diplomas from Maryville College.

“Two myths held by several community college students are that Maryville College is too hard and it’s too expensive,” Pennington said. “Inviting students to take a summer course here will give them an opportunity to experience our academics before making a long-term commitment. And as for financial aid, we encourage students to fill out the FAFSA [Free Application for Federal Student Aid] so that we can start a conversation.”